Article of manufacture



Feb. 11, 1941. G. D. sNYDER ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE Filed Aug. 14, 1949 mi mx E S R mw w m5. m mw`^ n Y 6MB WITNESS Patented Feb. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE Gilbert D. Snyder, Belle Harbor, N. Y., assignor t Parfumerie De Raymond, New York, N. Y., a

Application August 14,

7 Claims.

This invention relates to an article of manufacture which has special advantages in many fields of use. For example', it may be utilized as a container, particularly a container for the packaging of perfumes, cosmetics, etc. It also may be used as a Christmas tree ornament and in this connection may be provided with means for diffusing rays of either colored or white light to obtain certain pleasing and effective decorative effects. There are various other applications to which the invention may be extended as will become more apparent to those skilled in the art after an understandingof the same.

In general, the article of this invention comprises a base portion which may be utilized as a support for the article when the latter is used as va container, or the like, or it may be used as a weight to maintain the article in proper position when the article is to be suspended as in the case of a Christmas tree ornament. Rising from the base is an elongated tube-like member which may serve as a vcontainer for fluids, powders, or the like, or may be utilized as a bulb for a lamp and in this latter connection it may either be filled with a suitable gaseous mixture or provided with an electric filament. The top of the tube is either provided with a closure such as a stopper or may have attached thereto an ornamental knob. Intermediate the knob and the o base is provided a ribbon of flexible material which is arranged to provide a number of reverse or inverted folds or curves and through. the folds of which extends the tube-like member. The ribbon is preferably made of a material which will give a pleasing and decorative effect and which will enhance the effects produced by reflected light or light emanating from the tubelike member as will hereinafter become more fully understood.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive article of manufacture having the general construction above described and which is capable of producing certain pleasing and ornamental effects in the particular use to which it is put. A further object of the inven- D tion is to provide such an ornamental structure which is capable of being used in connection with a miniature lamp to produce certain decorative lighting effects. Other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the novel features of construction thereof will be hereinafter more fully described.

Particular embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a form of the invention which may be utilized as a Christmas tree ornament; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the structure showing the centrally disposed member in the nature of an electric light bulb and Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, partly in section, illus- 1940, Serial No. 352,549

trating the construction of the article when it is tf1) be used as a container for perfumes, or the li e.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, in which similar reference characters identify similar parts in the several views, the numeral ID designates the base of the article which may be made of any suitable material such as cardboard, wood, metal, thermoplastic material, etc. The base Ii) may be of hollow construction or may be made of solid material. Anchored in the base lil and rising vertically therefrom is a centrally disposed member II which may be made of any suitable material. Preferably, however, the member I I ismade of glass, Celluloid or translucent or transparent thermoplastic materials having light characteristics and which may be colored to` enhance the decorative effects of the article. The tube Il is also preferably of a hollow cylindrical form although it is within the contemplation of this inventor to make it solid and/or rectangular in cross-section. Secured to the upper end of the member II is an ornamental knob or cap member I2 which, in the event the article is to be used as a Christmas tree ornament, is provided with a fastener, such as the ring I3, by which the article can be secured to the tree.

Intermediate the ornamental member I2 and the base I0 is positioned a ribbon which is generally designated I4 and which is arranged in a sepentine manner to provide the reverse or inverted folds or curves I5. The ribbon I4 is provided at variably spaced intervals with a series of apertures I G arranged to be placed in alignment along a line intermediate the folds I5 of the ribbon and through which the vertical tube-like member II is threaded, the upper end portion I1 of the strip I4 resting against the ornament I2 or a bead I8 provided on the tube II and the lower end portion I9 of the strip I4 resting against the upper surface of the base Ill. The strip I4 is preferably made of material having an inherent resiliency so that in its folded form it is in the nature of a spring, with the ends I1 and I9 thereof pressing against the bead I8 and the base It, respectively. In this connection, the length of the strip I4 is such and the apertures i6 so arranged that the folds I5 on each side of the tube-like member I I bear upon one another, the fold I5 immediately overlying the end portion I9 of the strip bearing directly against the latter. Thus the strip i4 although it may be made of a thin, very exible material is given a sturdiness and rigidity which will maintain its form and its arrangement with respect to the other parts of the device without the aid of additional fastening means even under relatively rough usage. The flat surfaces of the strip I4 should have special light reflective properties flected thereon by the strip I4.

so as to attain the maximum illuminating effects desired and may be made of a particular color or combination of colors. Materials which are best suited for the purposes of the invention are Celluloid and other thermoplastic materials as these materials have highly polished reflective surfaces and can be obtained in a variety of rich colors. Particularly suitable are cellulose acetate fluorescent materials which are now being manufactured by the Du Pont de Nemours Company as an addition to the highly reflective flat surfaces of the strip, the side edges thereof glow with a rich warm color similar in nature to the color of the strip thus enhancing the 'gracefulness of the coiled strip I4 and making its appearance more striking.

When the article is to be used as a container for perfumes and the like, the member II may be made in the form .of an elongated container 20, as is illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing. In this construction, the base of the container is inserted in a recess provided in the base II] and the strip I4 is maintained in position by the base I0 and a bead 2| provided as the upper end of the container, the latter assuring the maintenance of the form of the strip while the contents of the container is being used. In this embodiment of the invention, also, a stopper or plug 22 such as is usual in perfume bottles takes theplace of the ornamental knob I2 provided on the construction illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing. In either case, whether the article is formed to be used as a container or a Christmas tree ornament, it will be evident that light rays striking the several parts thereof will be diffused by the member II or container 20 and the strip I4 to produce a novel and pleasing effect throughout the entire article and giving it the appearance of a solid vari-colored body due to the arrangement and light reiiective properties of the strip and member II and the colors of these parts. This color effect will be enhanced by the color of the contents of the bottle and the latter in turn will be effected by the colored light re- In the case of Christmas tree ornaments these lighting effects will be further enhanced by utilizing as the member II a sealed bulb provided with an electrical lighting filament or with a gaseous material such as is commonly utilized in the so-called Neon lights. In Fig. 2 of the drawing is illustrated a construction suitable for use as an electrically lighted Christmas tree ornament.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 2, the tube II is an elongated bulb 25 provided with a suitable filament 26. The lower end of the bulb engages a light socket 21 of usual construction provided in the base I0 which may be made of a thermoplastic material having insulating properties. A suitable passageway is provided in the base for the lead ends of the wires 28, 2B by which the article is connected to a source of electric current. A somewhat similar construction may also be employed in case a Neon bulb is used as is well-known in the art. It will be evident that when the bulb 25 is illuminated the rays of light emanating therefrom will be broken up and diffused throughout the article by the highly polished interior reflecting surfaces of the strip I4, the lighting effect being greatly enhanced by the repeated reflection thereof due to the curved reflecting surfaces of the strip, such surfaces functioning in the nature of mirrors to diffuse and intermingle the different colored rays of light in all directions Within the confines of the loops and emitting a glow of colored light by the direct rays passing through the material of which the strip is constituted. If the material of which the strip I4 is constituted is a cellulose acetate iiuorescent material, the decorative eifect will be further enhanced by the outline in a distinguishing, rich, warm color of the loops of the strip I4.

Aside from the ornamental value of the above described embodiments of the invention, it will be evident that the strip I4 promises certain advantages in the packaging and sale of commodities such as perfumes and cosmetics as the coils thereof will function as buffers and cushioning members to prevent any damage occurring to the container during transportation or handling. The manner in which this is accomplished will be readily evident from Fig. 3 of the drawing where the container for the article is indicated generally by the reference character 29. In the case of a Christmas tree ornament, the parts may be sold in a disassembled condition in a relatively small neat package, the parts being readily assembled by the purchaser by threading the member I I through the apertures of the strip I4 and inserting the base of such member into the' recess of the base III. The ornamental knob I2 can be made integral with the member I I or connected thereto by seven threads or any other suitable means.

While I have described particular embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that various modifications therein, particularly in the arrangement and configuration of the strip I4 thereof, may be made With-out departing from my invention.

I claim:

1. An article of manufacture comprising a base, an elongated member anchored in said base and extending outwardly therefrom, a stop member provided in the outer end of said elongated member and a strip of material positioned intermediate said base and sto-p member and having a plurality of apertures arranged in alignment and through which said elongated member extends, said strip being configured to form a plurality of coils on said elongated member and being constituted of a material having an inherent resiliency suflicient to enable portions to yieldably press against said base and said stop member.

2. An article of manufacture such as is defined in claim l, in which said strip is configured to form a plurality of reverse folds along the length of said elongated member.

3. An article of manufacture such as is defined in claim 1, in which said strip is made of a thermoplastic material.

4. An article of manufacture such as is defined in claim 1, in which said strip is made of cellulose acetate fluorescent material.

5. An article of manufacture such as is defined in claim 1, in which said stop is an ornamental member provided on the outer end of said elongated member.

6. An article of manufacture such as is claimed in claim 1, in which said elongated member is a light emitting bulb.

'7. An article of manufacture such as is defined in claim 1, in which said elongated member is a glass container and includes a stopper to close the outer open end of said container.

GILBERT D'. sNYDER. 

